There are five “12-step” meetings that are held on the parish grounds that focus on drug/alcohol addiction. Five of the six meetings are women-only and the other is open to both men and women. All of the meetings are based on the 12-step and 12-traditions developed by Bill W.

A Speaker meeting is a meeting at which someone tells the story of what it was like during their addiction, what happened and what it is like now. The Big Book refers to the basic text of Alcoholics Anonymous. It is a book of directions written by the first 100 alcoholics who found recovery through the program. It includes the 12-steps to recovery and the 12-traditions for the health of an alcoholic’s anonymous group. A Big Book meeting centers around the reading and discussion of an essay on one of the 12-steps or 12-traditions. Similarly, at a Step meeting, one of the 12 steps is discussed at length. Beginner meetings are geared toward beginners. Beginners, however, are welcomed at all meetings and are considered the most important persons in the room. For more info, try www.aa.org/bigbookonline.